Schumer calls on Puzder to withdraw nomination

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on President Donald Trump to withdraw the nomination of Andrew Puzder, to head the Labor Department, citing his record as a business executive and his position on labor issues.

“They ought to withdraw Mr. Puzder before he further embarrasses this administration and further exposes the hypocrisy of President Trump, who says one thing to the American worker and does another,” the New York Democrat said Thursday at a news conference, referencing Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which runs Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.

Schumer said Puzder’s record contradicts campaign promises Trump made to the working class.

“You could not have picked a worse nominee to uphold these goals than Andew Puzder,” he said. “Everything in his career is antithetical to the goals of the Department of Labor.”

Puzder’s confirmation hearing, which has been rescheduled multiple times, is currently slated for February 16 with the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on that committee, said at the news conference, that if Puzder does not withdraw he should expect Democrats and workers to “to scrutinize his record clearly and speak out loudly about what we see concerns us to make sure that this nomination process is as thorough and rigorous as possible.”